Special Cell Dormant Bandwidth Part Switching

ABSTRACT

A user equipment (UE) may operate on a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier. The UE identifies a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC), receives an indication that an active BWP is to be switched from the non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP and performs an action corresponding to the dormant BWP.

BACKGROUND

A Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) cell may be capable of utilizingmultiple bandwidth parts (BWPs). For example, the cell may be configuredwith a non-dormant BWP and a dormant BWP. Generally, the non-dormant BWPmay be used to provide access to network services normally available viathe network connection and the dormant BWP may be used to provide powersaving benefits to a connected user equipment (UE). In adual-connectivity (DC) scenario, a dormant BWP may be implemented by aspecial cell (SpCell) to provide power and performance benefits for aconnected UE

SUMMARY

Some exemplary embodiments are related to a user equipment (UE) having aprocessor and a transceiver communicatively connected to the processor.The processor is configured to perform operations. The operationsinclude identifying a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWPof a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of asecondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC), receiving anindication that an active BWP is to be switched from the non-dormant BWPto the dormant BWP and performing an action corresponding to the dormantBWP.

Other exemplary embodiments are related to a baseband processorconfigured to perform operations. The operations include identifying adormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carriercorresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cellgroup (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC), receiving an indication that anactive BWP is to be switched from the non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWPand performing an action corresponding to the dormant BWP.

Still other exemplary embodiments are related to a method performed by auser equipment (UE). The method includes identifying a dormant bandwidthpart (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primarysecondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dualconnectivity (DC), receiving an indication that an active BWP is to beswitched from the non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP and performing anaction corresponding to the dormant BWP.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network arrangement according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a carrier that includes multiplebandwidth parts (BWPs).

FIG. 4 shows a method for dormant BWP and non-dormant BWP switching fromthe perspective of the UE according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a signaling diagram for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWPswitching via a secondary cell group (SCG) link according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a signaling diagram for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWPswitching via a master cell group (MCG) link according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIGS. 7a-7c shows signaling diagrams for providing a primary secondarycell (PSCell) dormancy indication via an MCG link according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a signaling diagram for timer based non-dormant BWP anddormant BWP switching according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a signaling diagram for threshold based non-dormant BWP anddormant BWP switching according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 10 shows a signaling diagram for SCell activation and deactivationaccording to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 11 shows a signaling diagram for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the master node (MN) according to various exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 12 shows a signaling diagram for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 13 shows a signaling diagram for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 14 shows a signaling diagram for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN according to various exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 15 shows a signaling diagram for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN according to various exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference tothe following description and the related appended drawings, whereinlike elements are provided with the same reference numerals. Theexemplary embodiments relate to implementing a dormant bandwidth part(BWP) for a special cell (SpCell). As will be described in more detailbelow, the exemplary embodiments may provide power and performancebenefits for a user equipment (UE) configured with dual-connectivity(DC).

The exemplary embodiments are described with regard to a UE. However,reference to a UE is merely provided for illustrative purposes. Theexemplary embodiments may be utilized with any electronic component thatmay establish a connection to a network and is configured with thehardware, software, and/or firmware to exchange information and datawith the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used torepresent any appropriate electronic component.

The UE may support DC to a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cellgroup (SCG). The MCG may include at least a master node (MN) and the SCGmay include at least a secondary node (SN). In addition, the exemplaryembodiments are described with regard to a special cell (SpCell). Theterm “SpCell” may refer to a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG or aprimary secondary cell (PSCell) of the SCG. Thus, the terms “SpCell,”“MN” and “PCell” may be used interchangeably within the context of DC.Further, the terms “SpCell,” “SN” and “PSCell” may also be usedinterchangeably within the context of DC.

A 5G carrier may be configured with multiple BWPs. Those skilled in theart will understand that a BWP may refer to a set of physical resourceblocks (PRBs) within the carrier. As will be described in more detailbelow, a carrier may include at least one dormant BWP and at least onenon-dormant BWP. However, the configuration and arrangement of BWPswithin a carrier may change from carrier to carrier. Thus, any referenceto a particular configuration or arrangement of BWPs within a carrier ismerely provided for illustrative purposes.

The non-dormant BWP may be used for access to network services normallyavailable via the network connection. For example, the UE may transmitand/or receive data on the non-dormant BWP. The dormant BWP may be usedto provide power saving benefits with regard to data exchange processingat the UE. Specific examples of network and UE behavior with regard tothe dormant BWP will be discussed in detail below.

A BWP may transition between an activated state and a deactivated state.The UE may perform one or more operations related to data exchangeprocessing for a BWP that is in the activated state and the UE may notperform any operations related to data exchange processing for a BWP inthe deactivated state. For example, at a first time, the non-dormant BWPmay be activated to enable the exchange of data between the UE and thenetwork. At a second time, the non-dormant BWP may be deactivated, andthe dormant BWP may be activated. From the perspective of the UE, thereis less information and/or data to monitor for when the non-dormant BWPis in the activated state. This provides power saving benefits to theUE. At a third time, the active BWP may be switched back to thenon-dormant BWP to once again enable the exchange of data between the UEand the network.

The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a dormant BWP for aSpCell. In a first aspect, the exemplary embodiments include mechanismsfor the UE and the network to handle situations related to BWP switchingbetween the non-dormant BWP and the dormant BWP. In a second aspect, theexemplary embodiments relate to UE operation associated with a SpCellwhen the dormant BWP is activated. In a third aspect, the exemplaryembodiments relate to UE operation associated with a SCG when thedormant BWP is activated. The examples provided throughout thisdescription are described with regard to a SpCell that is a PSCell.However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplaryconcepts described herein may be applicable to an SpCell that is a PCellthat supports multiple BWPs.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network arrangement 100 according to variousexemplary embodiments. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes aUE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 may beany type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via anetwork, e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers,smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearables, Internet of Things(IoT) devices, etc. It should also be understood that an actual networkarrangement may include any number of UEs being used by any number ofusers. Thus, the example of a single UE 110 is merely provided forillustrative purposes.

The UE 110 may be configured to communicate with one or more networks.In the example of the network configuration 100, the networks with whichthe UE 110 may wirelessly communicate are a 5G New Radio (NR) radioaccess network (5G NR-RAN) 120 and an LTE radio access network (LTE-RAN)122. However, it should be understood that the UE 110 may alsocommunicate with other types of networks (e.g. 5G cloud RAN, NR in theunlicensed (NR-U), a next-generations radio access network (NG-RAN),legacy cellular network, WLAN, etc.) and the UE 110 may also communicatewith networks over a wired connection. With regard to the exemplaryembodiments, the UE 110 may establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN120 and/or the LTE-RAN 122. Therefore, the UE 110 may have both a 5G NRchipset to communication with the 5G NR-RAN 120 and an LTE chipset tocommunicate with the LTE-RAN 122.

The 5G NR-RAN 120 and the LTE-RAN 122 may be portions of cellularnetworks that may be deployed by cellular providers (e.g., Verizon,AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120 and 122 may include,for example, cells or base stations (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS,gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc.)that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that areequipped with the appropriate cellular chip set.

The exemplary embodiments are described with regard to a scenario inwhich the UE 110 is already configured with DC. Generally, DC includesthe UE 110 simultaneously connected to an MCG and a SCG. In the networkarrangement 100, the 5G NR RAN 120 includes a SN 120A that represents agNB. The SN 120A may be configured as a PSCell of a SCG. Thus, referenceto a single cell corresponding to the 5G NR RAN 120 is merely providedfor illustrative purposes. In an actual operating scenario, there may bemultiple cells included in a SCG that is configured to serve the UE 110.Further, the LTE-RAN 122 includes a MN 122A that represents an eNB. TheMN 122A may be configured as a PCell of an MCG. Thus, reference to asingle cell corresponding to the LTE-RAN 122 is merely provided forillustrative purposes. In an actual operating scenario, there may bemultiple cells included in an MCG that is configured to serve the UE110.

A cell (e.g., MN 122A, SN 120A) may include one or more communicationinterfaces to exchange data and/or information with UEs, a RAN, thecellular core network 130, other cells, the internet 140, etc. Further,a cell may include a processor configured to perform various operations.For example, the processor of the cell may be configured to performoperations related to DC, BWP activation/deactivation, BWP switching,etc. However, reference to a processor is merely for illustrativepurposes. The operations of the cell may also be represented as aseparate incorporated component of the cell or may be a modularcomponent coupled to the cell, e.g., an integrated circuit with orwithout firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include inputcircuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process thesignals and other information. In addition, in some examples, thefunctionality of the processor is split among two or more processorssuch as a baseband processor and an applications processor. Theexemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or otherconfigurations of a cell.

Those skilled in the art will understand that any association proceduremay be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the 5G NR-RAN 120 and/orthe LTE-RAN 122. For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR-RAN 120 maybe associated with a particular cellular provider where the UE 110and/or the user thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g.,stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR-RAN 120,the UE 110 may transmit the corresponding credential information toassociate with the 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, the UE 110 mayassociate with a specific cell. For access to LTE services, a similarassociation procedure may be performed with the LTE RAN 122. However, asmentioned above, reference to the 5G NR-RAN 120 and the LTE-RAN 122 ismerely for illustrative purposes and any appropriate type of RAN may beused.

To provide an example of DC within the context of the networkarrangement 100, the UE 110 may be connected to both the 5G NR-RAN 120and the LTE-RAN 122. However, reference to an independent 5G NR-RAN 120and an independent LTE-RAN 122 is merely provided for illustrativepurposes. An actual network arrangement may include a RAN that includesarchitecture that is capable of providing both 5G NR RAT and LTE RATservices. For example, a next-generations radio access network (NG-RAN)(not pictured) may include a next generation Node B (gNB) that provides5G NR services and a next generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB) thatprovides LTE services. The NG-RAN may be connected to at least one ofthe evolved packet core (EPC) or the 5G core (5GC). Thus, in oneexemplary configuration, the UE 110 may achieve DC by establishing aconnection to at least one cell corresponding to the 5G NR-RAN 120 andat least one cell corresponding to the LTE-RAN 122. In another exemplaryconfiguration, the UE 110 may achieve DC by establishing a connection toat least two cells corresponding to the NG-RAN or any other type ofsimilar RAN that supports DC. To provide another example of DC, the UE110 may connect to one or more RANs that provide 5G NR services. Forexample, a NG-RAN may support multiple nodes that each provide 5G newradio (NR) access, e.g., NR-NR DC. Similarly, the UE 110 may connect toa first RAN that provides 5G NR services and a second different RAN thatalso provides 5G NR services. Accordingly, the example of a singleindependent 5G NR-RAN 120 and a single independent LTE-RAN 122 is merelyprovided for illustrative purposes.

The network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130,the Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a networkservices backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 may be consideredto be the interconnected set of components that manages theoperation/traffic of the cellular network and may include the EPC and/orthe 5GC. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic thatflows between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 maybe generally described as an architecture for delivering multimediaservices to the UE 110 using the IP protocol. The IMS 150 maycommunicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 toprovide the multimedia services to the UE 110. The network servicesbackbone 160 is in communication either directly or indirectly with theInternet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network servicesbackbone 160 may be generally described as a set of components (e.g.,servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a suite ofservices that may be used to extend the functionalities of the UE 110 incommunication with the various networks.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplaryembodiments. The UE 110 will be described with regard to the networkarrangement 100 of FIG. 1. The UE 110 may include a processor 205, amemory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input/output (I/O)device 220, a transceiver 225 and other components 230. The othercomponents 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audiooutput device, a power supply, a data acquisition device, ports toelectrically connect the UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc.

The processor 205 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines ofthe UE 110. For example, the engines may include a SpCell dormant BWPengine 235. The SpCell dormant BWP engine 235 may be configured toperform operations related to BWP activation, BWP deactivation, BWPswitching, monitoring a dormant BWP and exchanging informationassociated the SCG when the dormant BWP is activated for a PSCell of theSCG (e.g., SN 120A).

The above referenced engine being an application (e.g., a program)executed by the processor 205 is only exemplary. The functionalityassociated with the engine may also be represented as a separateincorporated component of the UE 110 or may be a modular componentcoupled to the UE 110, e.g., an integrated circuit with or withoutfirmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include inputcircuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process thesignals and other information. The engines may also be embodied as oneapplication or separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, thefunctionality described for the processor 205 is split among two or moreprocessors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor.The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or otherconfigurations of a UE.

The memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured tostore data related to operations performed by the UE 110. The displaydevice 215 may be a hardware component configured to show data to a userwhile the I/O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables theuser to enter inputs. The display device 215 and the I/O device 220 maybe separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen. Thetransceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish aconnection with the 5G NR-RAN 120, the LTE-RAN 122, a legacy RAN (notpictured), a WLAN (not pictured), etc. Accordingly, the transceiver 225may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., setof consecutive frequencies).

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a carrier 310 that includes multipleBWPs. The carrier 310 may be used for uplink and/or downlinkcommunications between the UE 110 and the SN 120A. In this example, thecarrier 310 includes a non-dormant BWP 312 that represents a first setof PRBs and a dormant BWP 314 that represents a second set of PRBs. Thearrangement and configurations of BWPs within a carrier may vary fromcarrier to carrier. Thus, the example illustrated in FIG. 3 is just onepossible configuration of BWPs and is not intended to limit theexemplary embodiments in any way. The exemplary embodiments areapplicable to a dormant BWP and a non-dormant BWP being arranged withinthe carrier 310 in any appropriate manner.

A BWP may transition between an activated state and a deactivated state.When in the activated state, a BWP may be used for uplink and/ordownlink communications. For example, the UE 110 may receive physicaldownlink control channel (PDCCH) information dedicated to the UE 110,PDCCH information in the common search space and/or physical downlinkshared channel (PDSCH) data from the SN 120A on the BWP configured inthe activated state. The UE 110 may also transmit control informationand/or data to the SN 120A on the BWP configured in the activated state.

To provide an example within the context of FIG. 3, when the non-dormantBWP 312 is configured in the activated state, the UE 110 may exchangeinformation and/or data with the SN 120A on the non-dormant BWP 312.When the non-dormant BWP 314 is configured in the deactivated state, thenetwork may not assign resources to the UE 110 on the non-dormant BWP312.

The UE 110 may receive power saving benefits with regard to dataexchange processing when the dormant BWP 314 is configured in theactivated state. Compared to the non-dormant BWP 312, the dormant BWP314 is not used for as many types of data and/or information. Thus,there is less monitoring performed by the UE 110 when the dormant BWP314 is configured in the activated state. For example, the SN 120A maytransmit reference signals to the UE 110 on the dormant BWP 314 toensure that the UE 110 remains synchronized with the SN 120A. However,when data is to be exchanged between the UE 110 and the SN 120A, the UE110 or the network may trigger a switch of the activated BWP from thedormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312. Specific examples of networkand UE 110 behavior when the dormant BWP 314 is in the activated statewill be described in more detail below.

FIG. 4 shows a method 400 for dormant BWP and non-dormant BWP switchingfrom the perspective of the UE 110 according to various exemplaryembodiments. The method 400 will be described with regard to the networkarrangement 100 of FIG. 1, the UE 110 of FIG. 2 and the carrier 310 ofFIG. 3.

Initially, consider a scenario in which the UE 110 is connected to theMN 122A of the LTE-RAN 122. To provide the UE 110 with 5G NR services,the UE 110 may be configured with DC. Accordingly, the UE 110 mayestablish a connection to the SN 120A of the 5G NR RAN 120.

In 405, the UE 110 identifies a non-dormant BWP and a dormant BWP for acarrier corresponding to the SN 120A. For example, the UE 110 mayreceive information that indicates that the SN 120A supports the carrier310 that includes non-dormant BWP 312 and dormant BWP 314. The UE 110may receive this information from the network before, during or afterthe establishment of DC. In some embodiments, this information may bereceived during a radio resource control (RRC) signaling exchangebetween the UE 110 and either the MN 122A or between the UE 110 and theSN 120A. In other embodiments, this information may be broadcast by theSN 120 in a system information block (SIB) or any other similar type ofmechanism.

In 410, the UE 110 receives an indication that the non-dormant BWP 312is configured in the activated state. As will be described in moredetail below, this indication may be received from the MN 122A, the SN120A and/or a process being executed locally at the UE 110.

In 415, the UE 110 operates on the non-dormant BWP 312. For example, theUE 110 may tune its transceiver 225 to the non-dormant BWP 312. Thenon-dormant BWP 312 may be used to transport a variety of differenttypes of information and/or data. For example, when the non-dormant BWP312 is in the activated state, the UE 110 may receive PDCCH informationdedicated for the UE 110, PDCCH information in the common search space,PDSCH data and/or reference signals from the SN 120A on the non-dormantBWP 312. These types of communications may be associated with mechanismssuch as, but not limited to, PDCCH monitoring, sounding reference signal(SRS) transmission and reception, PUSCH transmissions, PDSCH reception,a random access channel (RACH procedure, channel state information (CSI)measurement and reporting, automatic gain control (AGC), beammanagement, etc.

As indicated above, the non-dormant BWP 312 may be used for a widevariety of different types of communications and be associated with awide variety of different types of procedures. Accordingly, the UE 110may expend a significant amount of power when the non-dormant BWP 312 isconfigured in the activated state even when there is no data beingtransmitted or received on the non-dormant BWP 312. To provide powersaving benefits to the UE 110 and to ensure that the SN 120A remains inthe activated state, BWP switching may be implemented.

In 420, the UE 110 receives an indication that the dormant BWP 314 isconfigured in the activated state. In some embodiments, this indicationmay be received via the SCG link or via the MCG link. Specific examplesof this type of signaling will be described in more detail below withregard to FIGS. 5-7 c. In other embodiments, this indication may bereceived from a process running locally at the UE 110. Specific examplesof these types of mechanisms will be described in more detail below withregard to FIGS. 8-9.

In 425, the UE 110 operates the dormant BWP 314. Generally, the dormantBWP 314 is utilized to provide the UE 110 with power saving benefitswhile also ensuring fast SN 120A activation. The operations supported bythe UE 110 and/or the network when the dormant BWP 314 is configured inthe activated state may be preconfigured or indicated to the UE 110 bythe network via RRC signaling or in any other appropriate manner.

To provide an example, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured in theactivated state, the reception and transmission of dedicated data (e.g.,PDSCH, PUSCH) and dedicated PDCCH may not be supported on the dormantBWP 314. This may provide a power saving benefit to the UE 110 withregard to data exchange processing because the UE 110 does not have tomonitor or process these types of data and/or information. However, theUE 110 may still monitor the common search space for an indication toswitch the active BWP back to the non-dormant BWP 312.

To provide further examples, in some embodiments, a RACH procedure maynot be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is in the activated state. Inother embodiments, a RACH procedure may be supported when the dormantBWP 314 is in the activated state. In some embodiments, radio resourcemanagement (RRM) measurements, radio link monitoring (RLM) measurements,channel state information (CSI) measurements and/or beam managementprocedures (e.g., beam failure detection (BFD), beam failure recovery(BFR), etc.) may not be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is in theactivated state. In other embodiments, RRM measurements, RLMmeasurements, CSI measurements and/or beam management procedures may besupported when the dormant BWP 314 is in the activated state. In someembodiments, SRS transmission may not be supported when the dormant BWP314 is in the activated state. In other embodiments, SRS transmissionmay be supported may be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is in theactivated state.

In 430, the UE 110 performs an operation associated with the SCG. Forexample, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured in the activated state,the SCells of the SCG may be configured in the deactivated state or mayalso be configured with a dormant BWP in the activated state. In thistype of scenario, the exchange of data and/or information associatedwith the SCG between the UE 110 and the SN 120A may be facilitated bythe MN 122A. Thus, performing an operation associated with the SCG mayinclude transmitting a signal to the SN 120A via the MCG link. Specificexamples of the types of operations that may be performed with regard tothe SCG when the dormant BWP 314 is configured in the activated statewill be described in more detail below with regard to FIGS. 10-15.

As indicated above, when the SN 120A is configured with a dormant BWP314 in the activated state, the SCells of the SCG may be placed in thedeactivated state. Throughout this description, the term “SCG dormantstate” may refer to a scenario in which the dormant BWP 314 isconfigured in the activated state and the SCells of the SCG areconfigured in the deactivated state. The term “SCG non-dormant state”may refer to a scenario in which the non-dormant BWP 312 is configuredin the activated state and the SCells of the SCG are also configured inthe activated state.

In 435, the UE 110 receives an indication that the active BWP is to beswitched back to the non-dormant BWP 312. This indication may be asignal received from the MN 122A, the SN 120A and/or a process beingexecuted locally at the UE 110 (e.g., a timer, identifying apredetermined condition, etc.).

The method 400 provides a general overview of dormant BWP andnon-dormant BWP switching from the perspective of the UE 110. Asmentioned above, specific examples of the signaling exchanges that maybe used to trigger dormant BWP and non-dormant BWP switching will bedescribed in more detail below with regard to FIGS. 5-9. Further,specific examples of the signaling exchanges that may be used toexchange SCG associated information when the dormant BWP 314 isconfigured in the activated state will be described in more detail belowwith regard to FIGS. 10-15.

FIG. 5 shows a signaling diagram 500 for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWPswitching via a SCG link according to various exemplary embodiments. Thesignaling diagram 500 includes the UE 110 and the SN 120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thenon-dormant BWP 312 is currently configured in the activated state.Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormant BWP 312when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP 314.

In 505, the UE 110 receives a signal from the SN 120A via the SCG link.For example, the signal may be a PSCell dormancy indication thatindicates the active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched to thedormant BWP 314. The signal may be a layer 1 (L1) command transmitted inthe common search space associated with the SN 120A. The monitoringsearch space and control resource set (CORSET) of the dormant BWP 314may be configured with a longer interval compared to the non-dormant BWP312 to provide power saving benefits to the UE 110.

To facilitate this type of signaling, a radio network temporaryidentifier (RNTI) for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP switching may beimplemented or an RNTI intended for a different purpose may be used. Forexample, the network may associate the UE 110 (or a group of UEs) withthe RNTI. The network may then indicate to the UE 110 that the UE 110 isassociated with the RNTI. In response, the UE 110 may monitor for DCIthat includes an RNTI associated with the UE 110. The presence of theRNTI may indicate that the UE 110 is the intended recipient of the DCI.In some embodiments, DCI formant 2_6 may be utilized for the L1 command.Further, as indicated above, the RNTI may be associated with a group ofUEs. Thus, the SN 120A may implement group based signaling fornon-dormant BWP and dormant BWP switching of multiple UEs.

In 510, the UE 110 operates on the dormant BWP 314. As indicated abovein the method 400, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured in theactivated state the UE 110 may not transmit or receive dedicated databut the UE 110 may still monitor for common control information.

In 515, the UE 110 receives a signal from the SN 120A via the SCG link.The signal may be a PSCell resume indication configured to indicate thatthe active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched out of the dormant BWP314 to the non-dormant BWP 312. For example, the SN 120A may initiatethe switch when there is data to be exchanged with the UE 110 in theuplink and/or downlink. Those skilled in the art will understand thatthis indication may be delivered to the UE 110 in a substantially mannerto the indication delivered in 505.

In 520, a RACH procedure may be performed. Generally, the RACH proceduremay be performed to ensure that the uplink to the SN 120A is not out ofsynchronization. In some embodiments, the UE 110 may only perform theRACH procedure when the UE 110 identifies or assumes that the uplinkwith the SN 120A is out of synchronization. Alternatively, any otherappropriate type of mechanism may be utilized to ensure that the uplinkis not out of synchronization.

In 525, a data exchange between the UE 110 and the SN 120A may occur. Atthis time, the non-dormant BWP 312 is configured in the activated stateand thus, the UE 110 may transmit and/or receive dedicated UE data withthe SN 120A.

FIG. 6 shows a signaling diagram 600 for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWPswitching via an MCG link according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 600 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thenon-dormant BWP 312 is currently configured in the activated state.Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormant BWP 312when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP 314.

In 605, the SN 120A may transmit a PSCell dormancy indication to the MN122A that indicates the active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched tothe dormant BWP 314. In 610, the MN 122A may transmit a PSCell dormancyindication to the UE 110 that indicates the active BWP for the SN 120Ais to be switched to the dormant BWP 314. Thus, the MN 122A may transmitBWP switching information for the SN 120A to the UE 110 via the MCGlink.

As will be described in more detail below with regard to FIG. 7, in someembodiments, the SN 120A may generate the indication and the MN 122A mayinclude the indication in its container for transmission. In otherembodiments, the SN 120A determines the dormancy state for the SN 120Aand send an indication to the MN 122A. In response, the MN 120A maygenerate a message that is to be transmitted to the UE 110 thatindicates that the active BWP for SN 120A is to be switched to thedormant BWP 312. In further, embodiments, the MN 122A may determine theSN 120A dormancy state and transmit an indication to both the SN 120Aand the UE 110.

In 615, the UE 110 may transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) to the MN 122Ain response to the PSCell dormancy indication. In 620, MN 122A may thentransmit an indication of the ACK to the SN 120A.

In 625, the UE 110 operates on the dormant BWP 314. As mentioned above,operating on the dormant BWP 314 may include monitoring the commonsearch space. However, in these types of scenarios where BWP switchingon the SN 120A may be facilitated via the MN 122A, it may be unnecessaryto monitor the common search space for the switching indication becauseit may be received via the MN 122A.

In 630, SN 120A may transmit a PSCell resume indication to the MN 122Athat indicates the active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched to thenon-dormant BWP 314. In 635, the MN 122A may transmit a PSCell resumeindication to the UE 110 that indicates the active BWP for the SN 120Ais to be switched to the non-dormant BWP 312. In 640, the UE 110 maytransmit an ACK to the MN 122A in response to the PSCell resumeindication. In 645, the MN 122A may then transmit an indication of theACK to the SN 120A. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the UE 110 maytransmit the ACK directly to the SN 120A via the SCG link (notpictured).

In 650, a data exchange between the UE 110 and the SN 120A may occur. Atthis time, the non-dormant BWP 312 is configured in the activated stateand thus, the UE 110 may transmit and/or receive dedicated UE data withthe SN 120A.

FIGS. 7a-7c show signaling diagrams 700-740 for providing a PSCelldormancy indication via an MCG link according to various exemplaryembodiments. The signaling diagrams 700-740 show examples of differenttypes of SN 120A and MN 122A interactions that may occur when providinga PSCell dormancy indication via the MCG link.

In the signaling diagram 700, the SN 120A generates the message that isto be delivered to the UE 110. This message may be transparent to the MN122A. For example, in 701, the SN 120A may transmit the PSCell dormancyindication to the MN 122A via an RRC transfer message. In 702, the MN122A may for the PSCell dormancy indication to the UE 110. Thus, the MN122A may insert the PSCell dormancy indication into the container of theMN message. In 703, the UE 110 may transmit a message to the MN 122Aconfirming that the UE 110 is aware of the BWP switching. In 704, the MN122A may then transmit an RRC transfer message to the SN 120A thatincludes the indication from the UE 110.

In the signaling diagram 720, the MN 122A may control BWP switching forthe SN 120A. For example, in 721, the SN 120A may transmit a SNmodification request to the MN 122A indicating that the SN 120A wants toswitch its active BWP to the dormant BWP 314. In 722, the MN 122Adetermines whether the BWP switching is permitted. The MN 122A may makethis determination on any appropriate basis.

723-725 provide an example of the type of signaling that may occur whenthe MN 122A permits the SN 120A to activate the dormant BWP 314. In 723,the MN 122A transmits a PSCell dormancy indication to the UE 110 usingan RRC reconfiguration message. In 724, the UE 110 may transmit an RRCreconfiguration complete message to the MN 122A. In 725, the MN 122A maytransmit a SN modification confirm message indicating that the UE 110has been informed that the active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switchedto the dormant BWP 312.

726 provides an example of the type of signaling that may occur when theMN 122A does not permit the SN 120A to activate the dormant BWP 314. In726, the MN 122A discards the SN modification request received in 721and transmits an SN modification refuse message to the SN 120A. Thismessage may indicate to the SN 120A that the non-dormant BWP 312 is toremain configured in the activate state. Thus, in the signaling diagram720, the SN 120A may make suggestions regarding which BWP is to beutilized by the SN 120A. However, the MN 122A has control over whetheror not the BWP switch is performed.

In the signaling diagram 740, the MN 122A may control the dormancy stateof the SN 120A. In 741, the MN 122A determines that the active BWP forthe SN 120A is to be switched to the dormant BWP 314. In 742, the MN122A may transmit a SN modification request to the SN 120A. In 743, theSN 120A may transmit an ACK to the MN 122A in response to the request.In 744, the MN 122A may transmit an RRC reconfiguration message to theUE 110 indicating that the active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switchedto the dormant BWP 314. In 745, the UE 110 may transmit an RRCreconfiguration complete message to the MN 122A. In 746, the MN 122A maytransmit an SN modification confirm message to the SN 120A indicatingthe RRC reconfiguration procedure is complete and the UE 110 is ready toutilize dormant BWP 314.

As indicated above, the signaling for dormant BWP and non-dormant BWPswitching may include the exchange of RRC messages between the UE 110and the MN 122A. In this type of scenario, the legacy MCG standard radiobearer 1 (SRB1) RRCReconfiguration and RRCReconfigurationCompletemessages may be used to carry SCG information that corresponds todormant BWP and non-dormant BWP switching for the SN 120A. For example,the SCG portion of these RRC messages may be configured to include adormancy indication associated with the SN 120A. Similarly, ifmeasurement reporting is supported for the SN 120A when the dormant BWP314 is configured in the activated state, the SN 120A triggeredmeasurement report may be provided to the MN 122A via MCG SRB1ULInformationTransferMRDC message. This information may then beforwarded to the SN 120A and/or used by the MCG for other operations.

Alternatively, the MCG SRB1 RRC message may be configured to carry a newtype of message. For example, the SCG dormancy indication may beprovided in a “DLInformationTransferMRDC” message or an“ULInformationTransferMRDC” message portion of an RRC message. If a SCGlayer 2 (L2) medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) istransmitted via the MN RRC message, the SCG L2 MAC CE may be provided ina “DLInformationTransferMRDC” message or an “ULInformationTransferMRDC”message portion of the RRC message.

In further embodiments, an MCG uplink/downlink MAC CE may be implementedto carry the container of SCG uplink/downlink MAC CE. This MCG L2 MAC CEmay have a subheader variable length. The MCG MAC CE content is the SCGL2 MAC CE where the MAC CE type is indicated via the logical channel ID(LCID). The length may be calculated based on the L parameter in theheader of the message.

FIG. 8 shows a signaling diagram 800 for timer based non-dormant BWP anddormant BWP switching according to various exemplary embodiments. Thesignaling diagram 800 includes the UE 110 and the SN 120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thenon-dormant BWP 312 is currently configured in the activated state.Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormant BWP 312when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP 314.

As mentioned above, the UE 110 may determine that the active BWP is tobe switched based on a process being executed locally at the UE 110. Inthis example, the network may configure the UE 110 with a PSCelldormancy timer.

In 805, the UE 110 starts (or restarts) the PSCell dormancy timer inresponse to dedicated scheduling received from the SCG. In someembodiments, the PSCell dormancy timer may also be started (orrestarted) in response to performing a transmission to the SCG (notpictured).

Both the network and the UE 110 are aware of the parameters for thePSCell dormancy timer. Thus, in 810, both the UE 110 and the SN 120A areaware that the PSCell inactivity timer has expired. In 815, the UE 110operations on the dormant BWP 314 because based on the expiration of thetimer the UE 110 may assume that the active bandwidth part has beenswitched from the non-dormant BWP 312 to the dormant BWP 314. Thus,without any explicit signaling from the SN 120A or the MN 122A, theactive BWP for the SN 120A may be switched to the dormant BWP 314.

FIG. 9 shows a signaling diagram 900 for threshold based non-dormant BWPand dormant BWP switching according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 900 includes the UE 110 and the SN 120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In this example, the network may configure the UE 110 with a thresholdvalue that may be used to trigger BWP switching. In 905, the UE 110determines that the available data amount for SCG transmission isgreater than the threshold value.

In 910, the UE 110 performs a RACH procedure with the SN 120A via theSCG link. Alternatively, the UE 110 may transmit a scheduling request tothe SN 120A (not pictured). For example, if the UE 110 identifies orassumes that the UE 110 is out of synchronization in the uplink with theSN 120A, the UE 110 may transmit the RACH. If the UE 110 identifies orassumes that the UE 110 is in synchronization in the uplink with the SN120A, the UE 110 may transmit the scheduling request.

FIG. 10 shows a signaling diagram 1000 for SCell activation anddeactivation according to various exemplary embodiments. The signalingdiagram 1000 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN 120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thenon-dormant BWP 312 is currently configured in the activated state.Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormant BWP 312when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP 314.

In 1005, the UE 110 may receive a PSCell dormancy indicating that theactive BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched from the non-dormant BWP312 to the dormant BWP 314. In this example, the PSCell dormancyindication is shown as being received from the SN 120A. However, asdemonstrated above, this type of indication may also be received fromthe MN 122A or via a process being executed locally at the UE 110.

As mentioned above, when the active BWP for the SN 120A is the dormantBWP 314, all SCells within the SCG may be switched to the deactivatedstate. Accordingly, in 1010, the UE 110 may operate on the dormant BWP314 and the SCG may be configured in the SCG dormant state.

In 1015, the UE 110 receives a PSCell resume indication that indicatesthe active BWP for the SN 120A is to be switched the from the dormantBWP 312 to the non-dormant BWP 314. In this example, the PSCell resumeindication is shown as being received from the SN 120A. However, asdemonstrated above, this type of indication may also be received fromthe MN 122A or via a process being executed locally at the UE 110.

At this time, the SCells of the SCG are still configured in thedeactivate state. In 1020, the SN 120A may transmit an SCell activationcommand via the SCG link to the UE 110. This command may indicate to theUE 110 that one or more SCells currently configured in the deactivatedstate are to transition to the activated state. Thus, in someembodiments, the network may provide explicit signaling for which SCellsare to be reactivated. In other embodiments, explicit signaling may notbe utilized. Instead, in response to the PSCell resume indication 1015,the UE 110 may assume that initial SCell activated state configured byRRC signaling is to resume.

As indicated above, SCG associated information may be exchanged betweenthe UE 110 and the SN 120A via the MN 122A when the dormant BWP 314 isconfigured in the activated state. In some embodiments, the SCGassociated information may be transmitted by the UE 110 in the containerof the ULInformationTransferMRDC to the MN 122A and then forwarded tothe SN 120A by the MN 122A. Similarly, SCG associated information may beforwarded to the UE 110 by the MN 122A in the container ofDLInformationTransferMRDC. Alternatively, the SCG associated informationmay be transmitted in a layer 2 (L2) cross cell group MAC CE.

The SCG associated information may include, but is not limited to, CSIreporting, SCG specific RRC messages transmitted via SRB3 or SRB1 (e.g.,measurement reports, UE assistance information, RRCreconfiguration,RRCreconfiguration complete, etc.), uplink MAC CEs (e.g., buffer statusreport (BSR) MAC CE, BFR MAC CE, listen-before-talk MAC CE, etc.), atracking area (TA) command, a discontinuous reception (DRX) command,etc.

FIG. 11 shows a signaling diagram 1100 for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN 122A according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 1100 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In 1105, the UE 110 receives a reference signal from the SN 120A. Forexample, the UE 110 may monitor the common search space when the dormantBWP 314 is in the activated state. The UE 110 may collect CSImeasurement data based on measuring one or more reference signals.

Next, the UE 110 may transmit a CSI report to the SN 120A via the MN122A. For example, the CSI measurement data may satisfy a predeterminedcondition and trigger the transmission of the CSI measurement report tothe SN 120A. Thus, in 1110 the UE 110 may transmit the CSI measurementdata to the MN 122A and in 1115 the MN 122A may forward the CSImeasurement data to the SN 120A.

The UE 110 may transmit an indication of the CSI measurement data to theMN 122A in the ULinformationTransferMRDC container. The MN 122A may thenforward the CSI measurement data to the SN 120A. Alternatively, the UE110 may transmit an indication of the CSI measurement data to the MN122A in a L2 MAC CE. The MN 122A may then forward the CSI measurementdata to the SN 120A.

In 1120, the SN 120A may determine that the active BWP is to be switchedfrom the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312. This determinationmay be based on factors such as, but not limited to, an amount of datathat is to be received and/or transmitted by the UE 110 and the CSImeasurement data. Although not show in the signaling diagram 1100, ascenario may occur where the CSI report indicates that the SN 120A isnot capable of providing an adequate network connection and thus, thenetwork may determine that the SN 120A is to be released and/or adifferent one or more SNs are configured.

In 1125, the SN 120A may transmit a PSCell dormancy command to switchout of the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312. As mentionedabove, this type of message may be provided to the UE 110 in any of avariety of different ways. Thus, the message in 1125 being shown asbeing provided directly to the UE 110 via the SCG link is merelyprovided for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 12 shows a signaling diagram 1200 for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN 122A according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 1200 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In 1205, the UE 110 receives a reference signal from the SN 120A. Forexample, the UE 110 may monitor the common search space when the dormantBWP 314 is in the activated state. In 1210, the UE 110 may perform BFDbased on measuring one or more reference signals. In response to the BFDprocedure, the UE 110 may be triggered to send a BFR report to the SN120A and stop the BFD procedure on the SN 120A.

In 1215, the UE 110 may transmit the BFR report to the MN 122A. Inaddition, the UE 110 may also terminate the BFD procedure at the UE 110.In 1220 the MN 122A may forward the BFR report to the SN 120A. The UE110 may transmit an indication of the BFR report to the MN 122A in theULinformationTransferMRDC container. The MN 122A may then forward theindication of the BFR report to the SN 120A. Alternatively, the UE 110may transmit the indication of the BFR report data to the MN 122A in theL2 MAC CE. The MN 122A may then forward the indication of the BFR reportto the SN 120A.

In response, the SN 120A may trigger RRCReconfiguration to reconfigurethe beam. Thus, in 1225, SCG specific RRC reconfiguration informationmay be sent to the UE 110 in the SRB3 or SRB1 container. As mentionedabove, this type of message may be provided to the UE 110 in any of avariety of different ways. Thus, the message in 1230 shown as beingprovided directly to the UE 110 via the SCG link is merely provided forillustrative purposes.

In 1230, an RRCReconfiguration complete message may be transmitted bythe UE 110 to the SN 120A in the SRB3 or SRB1 container.

In other embodiments, instead of transmitting the BFR report to the SN120A, the UE 110 may trigger a RACH procedure on the SN 120A to switchthe active BWP from the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312 basedon the BFD procedure.

FIG. 13 shows a signaling diagram 1300 for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN 122A according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 1300 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In 1305, the UE 110 may determine that data from the SCG only dedicatedradio bearer (DRB) is to be received by the UE 110. This determinationmay be based on a schedule, a previously received indication or anyother appropriate type of indication.

In 1310, the UE 110 may initiate a RACH procedure (or send a schedulingrequest) to trigger the switch of the active BWP from the dormant BWP314 to the non-dormant BWP 312.

Alternatively, in 1315, the UE 110 may transmit a SCG buffer statusreport (BSR) MAC CE to the MN 122A. In 1320, the MN 122A may forward theBSR MAC CE to the SN 120A. For example, the UE 110 may transmit the BSRMAC CE to the MN 122A in the ULinformationTransferMRDC container. The MN122A may then forward the BSR MAC CE to the SN 120A. Alternatively, theUE 110 may transmit the BSR MAC CE to the MN 122A as a L2 MAC CE (e.g.,cross cell group MAC CE). The MN 122A may then forward the BSR MAC CE tothe SN 120A.

In other embodiments, there may be different procedures for differentdata types. For example, if the available data is from the SCG only DRB,the UE 110 may initiate BWP switching via RACH procedure or a schedulingrequest. If the available data is only from the split DRB, the UE 110may transmit the SCG MAC CE to the SN 120A via the MN 122A or the UE 110may cancel the BSR.

In another example, if the available data is only for the split DRB, thedata amount and the data delivery will not inform to the suspected SCGlink and the UE 110 packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) can onlydeliver the data amount information to the MCG link and only trigger theMCG BSR MAC CE. With this enhancement, the UE 110 does not need totrigger the SCG BSR reporting to the SN 120A and will not trigger thedata transmission via the SCG link to the SN 120A and the SCG may remainin the dormant state. In some embodiments, this exemplary technique maybe selectively implemented based on a comparison of the available datato a threshold value.

FIG. 14 shows a signaling diagram 1400 for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN 122A according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 1400 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In 1405, the UE 110 may transmit an SRS to the SN 120A. In 1410, the SN120A may transmit a tracking area (TA) command to the MN 122A. IN 1415,the MN 122A may forward the TA command the UE 110.

In 1420, the UE 110 may adjust the PSCell uplink TA and restart the timealignment adjustment timer (TAT). if the TAT is still running, the UE110 may assume the UE 110 is still synchronized in the uplink. Thus, in1425, the UE 110 may transmit a scheduling request initiate the switchof the active BWP from the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312and facilitate the exchange of data between the UE 110 and the SN 120A.Alternatively, if the TAT expires, in 1430, a RACH procedure may beperformed to synchronize with the SN 120A and switch the active BWP fromthe dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 314. Alternatively,

FIG. 15 shows a signaling diagram 1500 for exchanging SCG associatedinformation via the MN 122A according to various exemplary embodiments.The signaling diagram 1500 includes the UE 110, the MN 122A and the SN120A.

Initially, consider a scenario in which DC is established and thedormant BWP 314 is currently configured in the activated state for theSN 120A. Further, the UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-dormantBWP 312 when the UE 110 is triggered to switch out from the dormant BWP314.

In 1505, the UE 110 may receive a reference signal from the SN 120A. TheUE 110 may generate measurement data based on one or more referencesignal. In this example, when the measurement data satisfies a thresholdvalue a measurement report may be transmitted to the SN 120A via the MN122A.

In 1510, the UE 110 may transmit an indication of the measurement reportin an ULInformationTransferMRDC container to the MN 122A. In 1515, theMN 122A may forward an indication of the measurement report to the SN120A. In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to the measurementreport, the UE 110 may also transmit a request for the network toperform dormant BWP to non-dormant BWP switching on the SN 120A. Thus,in response to the SN 120A radio quality exceeding a threshold the UE110 may trigger dormant BWP to non-dormant BWP switching via therequest.

In other embodiments, instead of a request, the UE 110 may initiate thedormant BWP to non-dormant BWP switching. For example, the UE 110 mayinitiate a RACH procedure to trigger the BWP switching. In this type ofscenario, the UE 110 may also send data, a BSR and/or a measurementreport associated with the SN 120A to the network.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-describedexemplary embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software orhardware configuration or combination thereof. An exemplary hardwareplatform for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, forexample, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, aWindows OS, a Mac platform and MAC OS, a mobile device having anoperating system such as iOS, Android, etc. The exemplary embodiments ofthe above described method may be embodied as a program containing linesof code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumthat, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

Although this application described various embodiments each havingdifferent features in various combinations, those skilled in the artwill understand that any of the features of one embodiment may becombined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner notspecifically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logicallyinconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions ofthe disclosed embodiments.

It is well understood that the use of personally identifiableinformation should follow privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular,personally identifiable information data should be managed and handledso as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use,and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made in the present disclosure, without departingfrom the spirit or the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intendedthat the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of thisdisclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claimsand their equivalent.

What is claimed:
 1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a processorconfigured to perform operations comprising: identifying a dormantbandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding toa primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) fordual connectivity (DC); receiving an indication that an active BWP is tobe switched from the non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP; and performingan action corresponding to the dormant BWP; and a transceivercommunicatively connected to the processor.
 2. The UE of claim 1,wherein the indication is included in a layer 1 (L1) command receivedfrom the PSCell.
 3. The UE of claim 1, wherein performing the actionincludes receiving a further indication that the active BWP is to beswitched from the dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP and wherein thefurther indication is included in a layer 1 (L1) command received fromthe PSCell.
 4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication is generated bythe PSCell and received from the PSCell via a master node (MN).
 5. TheUE of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting anacknowledgement (ACK) to the PSCell via the MN in response to theindication.
 6. The UE of claim 1, wherein performing the action includesreceiving a further indication that the active BWP is to be switchedfrom the dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP and wherein the furtherindication is received from the PSCell via a master node.
 7. The UE ofclaim 1, wherein the indication is received from a master node (MN) thatdetermines that the active BWP of the PSCell is to be switched from thenon-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP.
 8. The UE of claim 1, wherein theindication is based on an PSCell dormancy timer running on the UE. 9.The UE of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determiningthat the active BWP is to be switched from the dormant BWP to thenon-dormant BWP based on monitoring a threshold locally at the UE; andtransmitting a scheduling request or a random access channel (RACH)signal to the PSCell in response to determining that the active BWP isto be switched from the dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP.
 10. The UEof claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: when the active BWPis the dormant BWP, collecting channel state information (CSI)measurement data corresponding to the PSCell; transmitting a CSI reportto the PSCell via a master node; and receiving, in response to the CSIreport, an indication that the active BWP is to be switched from thedormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP.
 11. The UE of claim 1, wherein theoperations further comprise: when the active BWP is the dormant BWP,collecting beam failure measurement data corresponding to the PSCell;and initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure with the PSCellbased on the measurement data to initiate a switch of the active BWPfrom the dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP.
 12. The UE of claim 1,wherein the operations further comprise: when the active BWP is thedormant BWP, transmitting a signal to the PSCell based on a bufferstatus, the signal configured to trigger a switch of the active BWP fromthe dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP.
 13. A baseband processorconfigured to perform operations comprising: identifying a dormantbandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding toa primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) fordual connectivity (DC); receiving an indication that an active BWP is tobe switched from the non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP; and performingan action corresponding to the dormant BWP.
 14. The baseband processorof claim 13, wherein performing the action includes receiving a furtherindication that the active BWP is to be switched from the dormant BWP tothe non-dormant BWP and wherein the further indication is included in alayer 1 (L1) command received from the PSCell.
 15. The basebandprocessor of claim 13, wherein performing the action includes receivinga further indication that the active BWP is to be switched from thedormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP and wherein the further indication isreceived from the PSCell via a master node.
 16. The baseband processorof claim 13, wherein the indication is received from a master node (MN)that determines that the active BWP of the PSCell is to be switched fromthe non-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP.
 17. A method, comprising: at auser equipment (UE): identifying a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and anon-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell(PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC);receiving an indication that an active BWP is to be switched from thenon-dormant BWP to the dormant BWP; and performing an actioncorresponding to the dormant BWP.
 18. The method of claim 17, whereinthe indication is generated by the PSCell and received from the PSCellvia a master node (MN).
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein performingthe action includes receiving a further indication that the active BWPis to be switched from the dormant BWP to the non-dormant BWP andwherein the further indication is received from the PSCell via a masternode.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the indication is included ina layer 1 (L1) command received from the PSCell.